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Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa

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Located in the canyon of Rancho Santa Fe on 40 manicured acres of rolling hills, this relaxing retreat is just minutes from the charming boutiques and cafés of La Jolla. If you’re looking for something secluded, this is it. The Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel is made up of 20 pink casitas, which house only 49 suites, each featuring fireplaces with hand-painted tiles, beamed ceilings and private garden patios and large bathrooms, some with bathtubs and steam showers. There’s also an award-winning tennis program, spa and privileges at local golf courses.

Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa combines the warmth of authentic hacienda-style accommodations, the comfort of modern amenities and the charm of Mediterranean landscaping for an ambiance that is relaxed yet elegant. The resort’s ruggedly romantic edifices rise from the gardens in arcaded silhouettes awash in the rich alluring tones of Mexican country estates and Spanish Colonial manors from bygone eras.

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Our Inspector's Highlights

Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa is located in the secluded San Diego-area neighborhood of Rancho Santa Fe, one of the most affluent cities in America.

The 49 Mediterranean-inspired, hacienda-style suites sit on 40-plus acres of rolling hills. The luxury hotel's grounds are also a wonderful place for wandering, as they feature lush gardens and olive groves among their trails, tennis courts, pools and a croquet lawn.

Resort activities are plentiful, but if it's sand you seek, there are a number of beaches less than 20 minutes away.

Indulge in spa treatments, take advantage of the gym and engage in healing yoga sessions at the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel's new indoor/outdoor Balinese-inspired yoga pavilion.

The San Diego hotel’s abundance of expansive patios and courtyards are adorned with handcrafted Mexican furnishings clustered around traditional adobe fireplaces inset with brightly painted and vividly patterned tiles. Multi-tiered fountains, Saltillo pavements and a collection of large Metzca pots complete the serene scene.

Things to Know

While there is no bad time to visit Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, each season provides a unique experience.

Spring honors the spirit of growth and renewal as the resort’s extensive gardens abound in a flourish of rich blossoms. This is also a great time to sojourn inland, as coastal areas are often afflicted by a weather pattern that locals call “May gray” and “June gloom,” which causes overcast conditions at the beaches.

Summer brings hotter weather and long, reliably sunny days. If you want to avoid the beach crowds but still soak up some rays, head to the San Diego hotel’s secluded pools and private patios surrounded by lush green gardens.

Fall ushers in the season of serenity at Rancho Valencia. Shorter days, cooler temperatures and fewer tourists make this a great time to relax, restore and replenish mind, body and spirit.

Families who wish to spend the holidays in a quiet private setting will fawn over the luxury hotel in the winter. Enjoy its numerous outdoor fireplaces and cozy ambiance. The resort and gardens are aglow with twinkling lights and other luminous details.

Both Veladora, the resort’s upscale signature eatery, and The Pony Room, which serves tapas are helmed by executive chef Eric Bauer.

Veladora serves coastal ranch cuisine, such as housemade pastas and surf-and-turf entrées created with locally grown and resort-sourced produce. The menu also features more than 600 wines, and there's a private wine room for the most special of nights.

Next door, The Pony Room offers high-end pours with a focus on tequila and unique cocktails in an indoor-outdoor venue that takes advantage of the San Diego hotel's incredible year-round weather.

The polo-inspired Pony Bar offers a full range of luxury liquors focuses on craft tequilas and unique cocktails, and a rustic bar menu offers lunch and dinner. Take a seat on The Pony Bar's terrace — by a fire pit in the evenings — for a lovely spot to sip fine wine, enjoy a charcuterie board and take in picture-perfect Southern California views.

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